The invention relates to a method for aspirating secreted fluids from a wound by means of a drain connected to a negative pressure source having a variable negative pressure, and to an apparatus for performing this method.
In the postoperative aspiration of secreted fluids from a wound, the negative pressure is generally minimized according to the total aspirated quantity of secreted fluid, since the negative pressure source is a bottle or the like to which the drain is connected by means of a tube. It is also known to periodically increase and lower the suction effect. A pump is used for this purpose as the negative pressure source, which at predetermined time intervals is switched from a lower suction effect to a higher suction effect and vice versa. In addition, it has already been proposed to switch a pump of this type between a minimum and a maximum effect depending on the quantity of secreted fluid present. But none of these known methods leads to an optimal healing of the wound, which would require that the aspiration be adapted to the wound, particularly to the type of wound. An adaptation of this type is not possible with the known methods.